CMOS Image Sensor Patent Landscape 2026
CMOS Image Sensor Patent Landscape in 2026
The CMOS image sensor patent space is heavily concentrated, with Samsung Electronics holding the leading position among a field of large-scale semiconductor and imaging incumbents. Annual filing volume peaked in 2018 and has eased since, indicating a maturing but still commercially active technology domain.
Samsung leads a highly concentrated field of imaging and semiconductor incumbents
Samsung Electronics ranks first with 5,199 patent records, followed by Sony Group at 3,968 and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) at 3,798. Sony Semiconductor Solutions holds fourth place with 3,427 records, and SK Hynix rounds out the top five at 1,615 records.
The top five filers together account for 48% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, indicating strong concentration at the top tier. A pronounced gap separates the top four from the rest of
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 5,199 | |
| 2 | Sony Group Corporation | 3,968 | |
| 3 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) | 3,798 | |
| 4 | Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation | 3,427 | |
| 5 | SK Hynix Inc. | 1,615 | |
| 6 | Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd. | 1,247 | |
| 7 | OmniVision Technologies, Inc. | 1,201 | |
| 8 | Semicon Energy Lab Co., Ltd. | 1,137 | |
| 9 | Canon Inc. | 1,000 | |
| 10 | Dongbu Electronics Co., Ltd. | 959 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Fujifilm Corporation | 856 | |
| 12 | Toshiba Corporation | 531 | |
| 13 | Applied Materials, Inc. | 529 | |
| 14 | Intellectual Ventures II LLC | 472 | |
| 15 | Aptina Imaging Corporation | 439 | |
| 16 | Micron Technology, Inc. | 405 | |
| 17 | Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) Shanghai | 355 | |
| 18 | United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) | 350 | |
| 19 | VisEra Technologies Co., Ltd. | 322 | |
| 20 | Shanghai Huali Microelectronics Corporation | 295 |
The leading positions reflect deep, long-standing investment in pixel-level semiconductor design and image signal processing. Samsung and Sony’s dual presence — Sony Group alongside Sony Semiconductor Solutions — shows that integrated device manufacturer structures amplify apparent share in this field.
Data for 2024 and 2025 should be treated as provisional given standard patent publication delays of 18–24 months; the apparent recent drop in volume reflects this lag rather than a verified market contraction. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing volume peaked in 2018 and semiconductor device patents dominate the technology mix
Two views of the corpus reveal where activity has been concentrated over time and which technology branches define the field. The trend line shows how annual output has evolved, while the IPC composition chart maps the technical territory.
Annual filing trend
Filing volume rose to a peak of 1,318 records in 2018, then declined to 924 by 2022 and 702 in 2023. Figures for 2024 (394) and 2025 (35) are substantially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be read as the current run rate.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (semiconductor devices) is the dominant branch by a wide margin, followed by H04N (pictorial communication / video). Secondary branches including G02B (optical elements), H10B (memory device manufacture), and H10D (semiconductor devices, general) account for smaller but meaningful shares, reflecting the cross-disciplinary nature of image sensor development spanning optics, memory integration, and signal processing.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
CMOS image sensor (CIS) including MRAM (magnetic r…
A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) with a simplified stacked structure and improved operation characteristics includes an upper chip, in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional array structure, and a lower chip below the upper chip including a logic region having logic circuits and a memory region… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Image sensor based optical reader | 887 |
| 2 | Focus module and components with actuator | 800 |
| 3 | Compositions and methods for helper-free productio… | 791 |
| 4 | Solid-state image-sensing device that compensates … | 789 |
| 5 | Thin film device transfer method, thin film device… | 509 |
| 6 | Non-planar semiconductor device having doped sub-F… | 487 |
| 7 | Fabrication of thin-film, flexible photovoltaic mo… | 461 |
| 8 | Manufacturing apparatus and method for large-scale… | 454 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the patent structure means for R&D strategy
The combination of high concentration, a post-peak filing trend, and an incumbents-dominated collaboration network shapes the investment calculus for any new or existing player in this space.
Post-peak field with easing annual volume
The lifecycle stage is classified as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2018 peak of 1,318 records. The multi-year corpus of 8,324 patent families reflects sustained prior investment rather than fresh momentum. New entrants face a dense prior-art thicket, making freedom-to-operate analysis essential before committing R&D capital.
Lifecycle: Post-PeakTop five hold nearly half of the top-100 filer share
The top five filers — Samsung, Sony Group, TSMC, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, and SK Hynix — account for 48% of the combined patent records across the hundred largest filers. This level of concentration means that the core pixel architecture and fabrication process space is largely staked out. Differentiation opportunities lie in adjacent branches rather than the dominant H01L core.
High ConcentrationSony–Sony Semiconductor Solutions is the most active co-filing pair
The most frequent co-filing relationship is Sony Group with Sony Semiconductor Solutions, with 64 joint filings, reflecting an intra-group division of labor between system-level and device-level innovation. Samsung Electronics co-files with SNU R&DB Foundation (12 filings) and Korea Aerospace University (4 filings), indicating university partnerships for exploratory research. SK Hynix collaborates with POSTECH (6 filings) and Dong-A University (4 filings). OmniVision co-files with VisEra Technologies (4 filings), linking fabless design to back-end optics processing.
Ecosystem CollaborationUS jurisdiction dominates; regional patent offices hold secondary coverage
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction with 16,899 patent records, far ahead of Europe (EPO) at 1,957 and WIPO/PCT at 723. Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Australia account for smaller volumes. China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan show modest record counts in this dataset, which likely reflects where applicants chose to file English-language prosecution rather than the full global footprint of these firms.
US-Centric FilingGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Sony Group Corporation | Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation | 64 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | SNU R&DB Foundation | 12 |
| Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation | Riken Corporation | 7 |
| Toshiba Corporation | SanDisk Corporation | 7 |
| SK Hynix Inc. | POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) | 6 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Korea Aerospace University | 4 |
| SK Hynix Inc. | Dong-A University | 4 |
| OmniVision Technologies, Inc. | VisEra Technologies Co., Ltd. | 4 |
| Sony Group Corporation | Pixus Technologies (Paxs Inc.) | 3 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | 3 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Samsung and Sony lead on volume; TSMC distinguishes itself on process-side focus
The top four applicants are each above 3,400 patent records, forming a distinct leading cluster. Their technical emphases and recent momentum diverge meaningfully, shaping competitive positioning.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung leads with 5,199 patent records, concentrated in H01L 27 (semiconductor devices, 1,801 records), H01L 21 (fabrication processes, 447 records), and H04N 25 (image sensor signal processing, 366 records). This breadth spans device architecture through system-level imaging. Recent momentum shows a modest decline of 17% versus the prior three-year window, the smallest retreat among the top filers, suggesting Samsung is sustaining activity more than peers.
5,199 patent recordsSony Group & Sony Semiconductor Solutions
Sony Group holds 3,968 patent records with primary focus on H01L 27 (3,035 records) and H04N 25 and H04N 5 (combined 3,264 records), reflecting deep integration of pixel architecture with video and imaging system claims. Sony Semiconductor Solutions adds 3,427 records with a similar H01L 27 and H04N focus. Recent momentum for Sony Group is down 71% and Sony Semiconductor Solutions down 44% versus prior periods, indicating a significant pull-back in new filings relative to earlier years. Together, the Sony entities represent the strongest combined imaging-system portfolio in the field.
3,968 + 3,427 patent records| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Sony Group Corporation | 114 | ▼ -71% |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 462 | ▼ -17% |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) | 409 | ▼ -13% |
| Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation | 388 | ▼ -44% |
| Canon Inc. | 35 | ▼ -73% |
| SK Hynix Inc. | 28 | ▼ -77% |
| OmniVision Technologies, Inc. | 25 | ▼ -66% |
| Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd. | 17 | ▲ +6% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant semiconductor core
Several IPC branches appear at lower share within the CMOS image sensor corpus, sitting adjacent to the dominant H01L core. These observations indicate relative sparsity; they represent areas where the patent density is lower and where technical adjacency to image sensing exists.
G02B · Optical elements and systems
With 1,188 patent records and a 3% share of the technology composition, G02B covers microlens arrays, optical filters, and light-gathering structures that are integral to pixel-level sensitivity in image sensors. The branch is sparse relative to the semiconductor device core, and the primary players — Sony, Samsung, and TSMC — have not saturated it. Teams working on microlens design, on-chip color filter optimization, or computational optics stacks could find more navigable prior art here than in H01L 27.
Search this in Eureka →G01J · Radiation and light measurement
G01J accounts for 328 patent records at roughly 1% share. This branch covers spectral and radiometric characterization relevant to multispectral and hyperspectral image sensors, near-infrared imaging, and quantum efficiency calibration. As demand for sensors beyond visible-light imaging grows in automotive, medical, and industrial inspection contexts, this branch represents an adjacent area where the filing density remains low relative to the commercial application space. Entry would require combining CMOS process expertise with metrology and spectral engineering.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01L 27 · Semiconductor devices | H04N 25 · Pictorial communication (video/TV) | H04N 5 · Pictorial communication (video/TV) | H01L 21 · Semiconductor devices | H01L 31 · Semiconductor devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony Group Corporation | Strong · 3,035 | Strong · 1,680 | Strong · 1,584 | Emerging · 403 | Moderate · 649 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Strong · 1,801 | Moderate · 366 | Emerging · 305 | Moderate · 447 | Emerging · 280 |
| Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation | Strong · 1,626 | Moderate · 407 | Moderate · 638 | Emerging · 157 | Emerging · 141 |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) | Strong · 1,556 | Emerging · 104 | Emerging · 83 | Moderate · 564 | Emerging · 275 |
| Canon Inc. | Strong · 548 | Moderate · 220 | Strong · 289 | Absent | Emerging · 78 |
| Micron Technology, Inc. | Strong · 402 | Moderate · 94 | Absent | Moderate · 183 | Strong · 217 |
| SK Hynix Inc. | Strong · 469 | Emerging · 83 | Emerging · 81 | Moderate · 220 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The analysis covers 8,324 patent families in scope. Patent record counts across applicants and jurisdictions can exceed this total because a single family may be counted in multiple offices or IPC classes.
Samsung Electronics holds the leading position with 5,199 patent records, ahead of Sony Group at 3,968 and TSMC at 3,798 patent records among the top-100 filers.
Annual filing volume peaked in 2018 at 1,318 records and has eased since. The lifecycle stage is classified as Decline, reflecting that the multi-year corpus is large but new annual output has retreated from its peak. Data for 2024 and 2025 are substantially under-counted due to standard publication lag.
The United States leads with 16,899 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 1,957 and WIPO/PCT at 723. These counts are at the patent-record level and reflect where applicants chose to file.
Sony Group and Sony Semiconductor Solutions are the most active co-filing pair with 64 joint filings. Samsung Electronics co-files with SNU R&DB Foundation (12 filings) and Korea Aerospace University (4 filings). SK Hynix partners with POSTECH (6 filings) and Dong-A University (4 filings).
G02B (optical elements and systems) at 3% share and G01J (radiation and light measurement) at approximately 1% share are among the lower-density branches adjacent to the dominant H01L semiconductor device core. H10B (memory device manufacture) and H10K (organic semiconductors) are also relatively sparse at 2% and 1% share respectively.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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